Amy liebermanhttps://amylieberman.com
Wellness Coaching to Feel Better and Be BetterTue, 08 Aug 2017 12:30:25 +0000enhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1July Stress Tips: Compilationhttps://amylieberman.com/july-stress-tips-compilation/
https://amylieberman.com/july-stress-tips-compilation/#respondTue, 01 Aug 2017 13:00:12 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=1181 What can nature teach you? “Emerson said that the happiest person on earth is the one who learns from nature the lessons of worship. So go outside a lot, and look up.” -Anne Lamott Don’t hold your feelings in. Tell others how you feel and what you need. What are you putting off that could be done and out ... Read More

]]>https://amylieberman.com/june-stress-tips-compilation/feed/0May Stress Tips: Compilationhttps://amylieberman.com/may-stress-tips-compilation/
https://amylieberman.com/may-stress-tips-compilation/#respondThu, 01 Jun 2017 13:45:29 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=1077Invest in your social support system. Keep good company and avoid energy vampires. Find your supporters & champions, and those you respect & trust; teachers, mentors, friends, family, co-workers. Match your network with your specific issue: talk out your challenges and successes, and get help making hard decisions. Meet in-person or use technology to connect. The people who believe in you and ... Read More

]]>https://amylieberman.com/may-stress-tips-compilation/feed/0Good Grief, Charlie Brownhttps://amylieberman.com/good-grief-charlie-brown/
https://amylieberman.com/good-grief-charlie-brown/#respondTue, 30 May 2017 20:00:37 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=1111Good Grief, Charlie Brown Grief is raw. Grief is honest. Grief is impossible to elude. In my last post, I shared that I get stressed too, and that times were a little rough. Honestly, they are worse than that. On top of launching some events and transitioning into my new summer schedule, the real concern has been my dog. And ... Read More

In my last post, I shared that I get stressed too, and that times were a little rough. Honestly, they are worse than that. On top of launching some events and transitioning into my new summer schedule, the real concern has been my dog. And we have been through a LOT together. She has been a tremendous learning opportunity and has helped me to open my heart to get to where I am now. Surprising what one little furry dogface can do.

It is so hard when a parent, sibling, pet is not in a good place.

For me and my doggie’s puppy daddy (she was with me part of the time the day we met him!), we have been on an emotional roller coaster for the past few weeks. So what has it looked like at our house? What do you do when the shi…er, stress hits the fan?

Crying: There have been so many tears. Crying is cathartic. Let them flow. And letting them flow with loved ones is such a connector.

Crafts/Knitting: It is amazing how much fabric I have knitted up. Crafts are a great way to occupy your mind. Channel your energy into creating something.

Cleaning: I have scrubbed the crap out of our kitchen, in all of the nooks and crannies, behind the appliances..

Napping: There have been many naps, some of us, all of us: in bed, on the couch, on the floor. Of course, there has been sleeplessness as well.

Watching movies: Normally not a huge draw in our house, but yes, TV at times can be useful.

Cooking: Mains, sides, veggies, veggie juices (check out The Big Book of Juices), cookies (always gf, df and egg-free)– you name it. Good nutrition is important during duress…though honestly, it was more about the process than the end game.

Organizing (Excavating): I’m not going to lie; my office was looking like a tornado had hit it. Granted, all piles were organized, but…I have found the surface of my desk, coffee table, and one of my upholstered chairs that is so lovely, yet was unrecognizable. I even migrated all (yes, ALL!) of my files to Google Drive.

Exercising: Yoga has been one of my top go-to tools for the past 15 years. It never fails, and even if it gives me a chance to stop and cry, that too is ok. But moving energy through/moving my body is always helpful.

Walking/Hiking outside has also been a savior- even when it is through tears. Just to hold hands with a partner and know that we are both sad…connecting to self, partner, nature.

Support System: Family and friends love and support has helped a lot. While they really can’t directly help the situation– knowing they are thinking of all of us is good.

Pet-time: Rubs, cries, walks, it all adds up to reflecting on how much love there is for this furry baby.

Reframing: I wrote a blog post about cognitive restructuring. I think we have had a lot of waffling between wondering about decisions that will have to be made and reflecting about all of the good memories we have had, how full of a life we have had with our furry baby. We are trying to focus on the good,…and we will make sure that she will not suffer. If she can’t eat, get outside to her favorite places, get in the water, we won’t prolong her agony.

Games: We play a lot of games. It keeps us connecting, and we laugh. Two competitive spirits sassing each other.

Try something new: I bought a sprouter and the seeds have already started. So fun to watch them grow day-by-day. That may be my next post?

And sometimes, when there are no more words, and you’ve cried for hours (apparently, there are still tears left), and you’ve slept too much or not enough, you don’t pretend all is fine, but you pour your grief out in words and put it out there for all to see. How’s that for vulnerability Brene?

Sending healing thoughts to all of those who need it.

Thank you to all of those who have been in the loop who have been sending us loving thoughts.

We’re waiting (waiting is the hardest part!) to learn more about the situation, and figure out next steps.

]]>https://amylieberman.com/good-grief-charlie-brown/feed/0I Get Stressed Toohttps://amylieberman.com/i-get-stressed-too/
https://amylieberman.com/i-get-stressed-too/#respondTue, 23 May 2017 07:00:36 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=1081Just because I help others with stress doesn’t mean that I live in a cocoon of calm. Oh puh-lease. I’m just a normal person trying to get through the day like everyone else. But as a stress, and health and wellness coach, people often put me on a pedestal. They think I am this beacon of health perfection. However, a few weeks ... Read More

]]>Just because I help others with stress doesn’t mean that I live in a cocoon of calm. Oh puh-lease. I’m just a normal person trying to get through the day like everyone else. But as a stress, and health and wellness coach, people often put me on a pedestal. They think I am this beacon of health perfection.

However, a few weeks ago, as I was listening to the Global Stress Summit, one of the wise speakers laughed when the same was asked of him- something to the effect of, “How do you keep stress from your day-to-day?” He chuckled and said (I paraphrase), “Why do you think that I have been studying stress for 40 years?” The wise speaker was Robert Sopolsky.

I have to admit, I expected a list of meditation and breath exercises, taking time for self, some bizarre adrenalyn-seeking behavior. But no, he just admitted that he struggles like everyone else. Why do I laugh when people ask me what I do, and yet, I expected something different from him?

Well, I don’t have it all worked out either. I continue to be honest when I am less than calm and call it out. People know that I am direct, and this is no different. You can’t bullshit stress away. However, I do work every day, ok– most days, at using the tools that I know to work for me. Some days, I am super successful, and others…not so much.

It reminds us that no matter who we are, or how calm and healthy we are supposed to be, that we have to recognize what we can control and what we can’t. We can control our feelings by putting things in a more positive light, or not fearing for the worst. We can control what we think, and how we act. And we can work on how to cope when things beyond our control happen.

I hope that you don’t think that just because I am a coach that it is easy for me. This past week, it was especially hard to be honest. We all have rough days, weeks, and phases.

That’s the work we need to do: to determine how we best cope when the going gets tough. And of course, if you need help, contact a coach. But don’t pretend we’re not human too. Don’t you want someone who can relate to your plight? Believe me, I can.

Here’s to a better week. Oh yeah, traveling for a long weekend to see my family. I am looking forward to it, but it’s stressful too. There’s always something.

]]>https://amylieberman.com/i-get-stressed-too/feed/0Planting Seeds to Create a Flourishing Gardenhttps://amylieberman.com/1023-2/
https://amylieberman.com/1023-2/#respondTue, 16 May 2017 12:18:31 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=1023There was a time when I was overly critical of myself– it started in grade school. Whatever I did was never enough. If I got constructive feedback, I didn’t note down what I did well, but focused only on what needed improvement. Celebrate your accomplishments Throughout my transformation, I have shifted my mindset. Celebrating your accomplishments is so important. Just ... Read More

]]>There was a time when I was overly critical of myself– it started in grade school. Whatever I did was never enough. If I got constructive feedback, I didn’t note down what I did well, but focused only on what needed improvement.

Celebrate your accomplishments

Throughout my transformation, I have shifted my mindset. Celebrating your accomplishments is so important. Just as important as looking at what didn’t quite go the way the planned so that you can refine and improve.

Last week, my stress tip was “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” I had a few things in mind when I created that post. But mainly, I was laughing to myself. One of my clients had shared how impressed he was with the number of things I was doing. I was completely honest and shared the fact that I had some complete failures that were less visible. HAH!

Plant seeds

Planting seeds is step one. Put something out there and see how it goes. Is there clarity of purpose? How well are the logistics planned out? How are you breaking down the content? What resonates for people? Then look at it and say what worked and what didn’t? And then…take 2! Hopefully, the next time is better. There is that expression “third time’s a charm.”

Assess & refine, streamline

I am all about planting seeds so that my business can be a flourishing garden in 2018. My goal is to figure out what gets traction and how to make things more efficient so that all goes more smoothly and is more time efficient later on. We’ll see how that evolves.

Thank your support

I am excited with the momentum that has started. I have a ways to go, but I feel so lucky to do what I love. To all of those who have participated in yoga or stress workshops, yoga classes, casual conversations about building business, and local leaders, I thank you. I am grateful to live in a small community where people try to connect each other so that we can all thrive.

]]>https://amylieberman.com/1023-2/feed/0What Is Coaching And Why Might You Want A Coach?https://amylieberman.com/what-is-coaching-and-why-might-you-want-a-coach/
https://amylieberman.com/what-is-coaching-and-why-might-you-want-a-coach/#respondTue, 09 May 2017 11:45:38 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=1003Are you moving forward or are you just spinning… whether in your mind or on your hamster wheel? More and more, I am hearing about fear. My blog post last week referred to Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert, and how people let fear prevent them from living their best life. I had a client meeting a couple of weeks ago ... Read More

]]>Are you moving forward or are you just spinning… whether in your mind or on your hamster wheel?

More and more, I am hearing about fear. My blog post last week referred to Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert, and how people let fear prevent them from living their best life.

I had a client meeting a couple of weeks ago with a man who wants to change his career path. He didn’t know where to start. And he admitted to his fear of starting.

Most people who come to see me are stuck. Whether or not they chalk it up to fear, they need help getting started and finding their path to live a life that is more satisfying.

If you are thinking about making a change, whether that is switching careers, trying to get more exercise, or developing a more productive relationship with stress, coaching may be able to help. Often, people are overwhelmed trying to incorporate something new into their lives. This is where a coach may be able to help.

Thinking of making a change? Ask a lot of questions.

Regardless of what your new beginning is, start by making it tangible. You can ask yourself a number of questions whether or not you want to partner with a coach.

What do you want to do and why?

Why is this important to you?

How important is it for you? (If it isn’t important enough, you won’t prioritize it).

It’s one big experiment

Starting something new is challenging, and once you start, each day will be an experiment. But that is what life is…one big experiment. How would you like to spend the time you have on this planet? You live to figure out what you like and what you don’t, what makes you feel good and what doesn’t, what is meaningful and what isn’t.

Working with a coach provides the process, structure, and guidance to help you get unstuck, find your confidence, and figure out this path. While at first the new behavior feels challenging and forced, performing the action repeatedly, consistently, and mindfully causes a magical shift to happen in the brain: it “re-wires” itself so that the behavior becomes automatic. The goal is to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. And have a partner to help you navigate the road in between. If you would like to learn more about coaching, working with me, or the services I offer, contact me at amy@amylieberman.com.

]]>https://amylieberman.com/what-is-coaching-and-why-might-you-want-a-coach/feed/0Baby Foxes And The Courage To Live Creativelyhttps://amylieberman.com/baby-foxes-and-the-courage-to-live-creatively/
https://amylieberman.com/baby-foxes-and-the-courage-to-live-creatively/#respondWed, 03 May 2017 16:36:56 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=975May is not the best time to be in Breckenridge. It’s often still cold and snowing, and by May 1, I’m typically over it. Businesses close and people leave town. The best part of May in the mountains are the baby foxes. They are ADORABLE! I can often be found roaming around town stopping by the variety of fox dens, hoping ... Read More

]]>May is not the best time to be in Breckenridge. It’s often still cold and snowing, and by May 1, I’m typically over it. Businesses close and people leave town.

The best part of May in the mountains are the baby foxes. They are ADORABLE! I can often be found roaming around town stopping by the variety of fox dens, hoping to discover the kits outside scampering, jumping, and taunting each other. They exude pure curiosity and playfulness.

Luckily for me, my “hubs” had a conference in Florida and so I chose to be a stowaway for a quickie trip to get out of the snain (snow + rain), catch up on my vitamin D, work a little bit, and get some R&R at the pool.

I grabbed Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic from the library and off we went. It’s about 80 degrees; there’s a lovely breeze, and I’ve traded out baby foxes for little lizards darting too and fro.

I started the book. The Eat, Pray, Love author asks us to find the courage to live creatively, by “living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.” How can we be a bit more like the foxes?

The below excerpt remind us of all of the ways our fears can get in our own way. Which of these resonate for you?

Focus on the destination instead of what is holding you back.

“Let me list for you some of the many ways in which you might be afraid to live a more creative life:

You’re afraid you have no talent.

You’re afraid you’ll be rejected or criticized or ridiculed or misunderstood or—worst of all—ignored.

You’re afraid there’s no market for your creativity, and therefore no point in pursuing it.

You’re afraid somebody else already did it better.

You’re afraid everybody else already did it better.

You’re afraid somebody will steal your ideas, so it’s safer to keep them hidden forever in the dark.

You’re afraid you won’t be taken seriously.

You’re afraid your work isn’t politically, emotionally, or artistically important enough to change anyone’s life.

You’re afraid your dreams are embarrassing.

You’re afraid that someday you’ll look back on your creative endeavors as having been a giant waste of time, effort, and money.

You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of discipline.

You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of work space, or financial freedom, or empty hours in which to focus on invention or exploration.

You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of training or degree.

You’re afraid you’re too fat. (I don’t know what this has to do with creativity, exactly, but experience has taught me that most of us are afraid we’re too fat, so let’s just put that on the anxiety list, for good measure.)

You’re afraid of being exposed as a hack, or a fool, or a dilettante, or a narcissist.

You’re afraid of upsetting your family with what you may reveal.

You’re afraid of what your peers and coworkers will say if you express your personal truth aloud.

Plant the seed and focus on the blossom.

Had enough? Me too. Cast aside your fears, your doubts, your insecurities, and focus on the end game. What you can accomplish? The only thing standing in between you and what you want to be…is you.

It’s springtime (at least in most places in the United States). How is your fear limiting how you can blossom? “Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you? . . . The hunt to uncover those jewels — that’s creative living.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

]]>https://amylieberman.com/baby-foxes-and-the-courage-to-live-creatively/feed/0April Stress Tips: Compilationhttps://amylieberman.com/april-stress-tips-compilation/
https://amylieberman.com/april-stress-tips-compilation/#respondMon, 01 May 2017 17:00:02 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=991Create an “Idea Jar” “Oh, where did I put that great idea?” Is it hard for you to keep track of your ideas? Create a single repository: Stop the frustration of searching. Be more time efficient. Don’t lose or forget ideas. USE: An app like Trello or Evernote A spreadsheet A journal (analog is ok too!) Notes on your phone Mindset Keep your thoughts positive. Your thoughts become your words become your actions. See the good. FOCUS on: Abundance, not scarcity. Solutions, not problems. Positive, not negative. What you can control, not what you can’t. Listen More. Talk Less. Do you dominate ... Read More

Create an “Idea Jar”

“Oh, where did I put that great idea?”

Is it hard for you to keep track of your ideas?

Create a single repository:Stop the frustration of searching.
Be more time efficient.
Don’t lose or forget ideas.
USE: An app like Trello or Evernote
A spreadsheet
A journal (analog is ok too!)
Notes on your phone

]]>https://amylieberman.com/april-stress-tips-compilation/feed/0Think Like a Proton and Be Positivehttps://amylieberman.com/think-like-proton-positive/
https://amylieberman.com/think-like-proton-positive/#respondTue, 25 Apr 2017 13:00:17 +0000https://amylieberman.com/?p=926“If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad.” -Denis Waitley How’s your attitude? And how does your thinking shape your behavior and your outcomes? Negative self-talk could be the most toxic behavior a person can have. It is that behavior that spirals you into bad choices and ... Read More

Negative self-talk could be the most toxic behavior a person can have. It is that behavior that spirals you into bad choices and destructive activities. You bully yourself saying that you aren’t good enough, you didn’t do something well enough, etc. Most of you wouldn’t be this cruel to others, but why do you turn it on yourself?! Your mindset creates your opportunities, and moreso, a bad attitude limits your possibilities and potential.

What kind of people do you like to be around?

Think about the people you like to be around. I can bet they are generally positive, supportive, and confident. If you struggle to see the glass as half-full or find yourself a little moody, then you may want to work on your mindset to develop a more positive attitude.

Do you remember Apple’s Think Different slogan? That could also be the slogan for a technique called “cognitive restructuring” or “cognitive reframing.” It is a fancy phrase that asks you to pay more attention to limiting beliefs about yourself, your thoughts, and/or your situation. Next, it asks you to shift your negative, unhelpful thinking. Instead of focusing on the exaggerated negative, it asks you to find a more realistic, balanced assessment so that you can turn that frown upside down.

It basically takes mindfulness to the next level by us to be aware of our thoughts in specific situations. Cognitive restructuring is a way to look at bad moods and some of the beliefs that bring on negative feelings about ourselves so that we don’t compromise our relationships or hinder our goals and dreams.

Acknowledge your patterns

There are many of examples of how we self-sabotage our outlook, but a handful of common types are personalizing, mindreading, making negative predictions, looking for the negative, and all or nothing thinking. Psychology Today has a great list of 50 examples.

The issue is that these types of thoughts are habitual and continually erode our self-confidence. We all have degrees of this. And like mindfulness, we need to get into the habit of practicing positive, helpful thinking. So start to notice your thoughts. Are they generally, negative, realistic, or delusionally positive?

When you net find yourself in a situation where you are starting to go down the Negative Nancy road, think to yourself, “How can I shift my perspective and reframe the situation?” Identify and alter… because people don’t like to spend time with Debbie Downers. And most people don’t like themselves when they fall into these wallowing states, and then that perpetuates the problem.

If your self-talk is telling you, “They don’t like me because…” or “My _____ skills aren’t good enough” or you focus on what didn’t go perfectly…you have talked yourself into a bad place. Work on your attitude adjustment skills by replacing those degrading thoughts with something more positive.

Commit to a new positive outlook

Commit to a new habit of quitting the negative self-talk. Tell a few friends and family members so that they can help you recognize situations when you are talking down about yourself. It could be so commonplace that you don’t even realize it. Noticing is the first step to change. Commit to focusing on it, and with repetition over time, your new habit will continue to reinforce itself.

Wake up each morning and tell yourself something positive about yourself, or something that you are grateful for, or something that you are looking forward to. Find compassion and kindness for yourself. Your confidence and courage will begin to increase, and you will more consistently acknowledge and appreciate your strengths and gifts and speak nicely and lovingly to yourself.

Think about a few recent situations where you have bullied yourself, been overly critical, and given an unbalanced, unjustified point of view. What is similar about the situations or about your thoughts? What were the actual circumstances and what types of things can you focus on in the future?

Positive thinking can go a long way. Instead of dwelling on the negative, begin to try to see the glass as half-full. Make lemonade out of lemons. Look for abundance rather than scarcity, and what you can control as opposed to what you can’t. You’re going to fall more in love with yourself and your life as a result of all of the possibilities that you start to imagine and manifest.